Mandala Madness Part 18

I am feeling a real mix of emotions.
Sad that this amazing journey has reached the end.
Humbled by the amazing response to my crazy design.
So proud of the amazing work you have all done.
Thrilled by all the love and support. ♥

And so we come to the end of the madness…well this madness anyway!
The pattern and the videos by Esther will remain available and free indefinitely.♥

Before we start on this final part I would like to say something…

I would like to say a HUGE thank you for the amazing love and support this crazy project has generated.

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments and for the love the crochet community shares.

A huge hug and thank you to my amazing and awesome testers, Kay Crone and Terena Todd, I could not have done it with out you.♥

A MASSIVE thank you to Esther from itsallinanutshell.com for the awesome job she has done with the video tutorials, I know her voice has helped to keep some of you calm through the tough bits.

Another HUGE thank you to the amazing translation teams, who have worked so hard to help share the madness around the world and to the admin team of the CAL Crochet A-Long group on Facebook.The rest of the Russian and Spanish videos will be added as they are ready.

Thank you to Scheepjes for sponsoring this cal, by providing the yarn for my testers and me.

Thank you to the beautiful souls who help to moderate my Ravelry group.

Thank you to my Crochet Angels who sit on my shoulder and give me these crazy ideas!

But most of all…. THANK YOU to YOU for honouring me by making this Mandala Madness.

There are some extra photos right at the bottom of the page 🙂

Now back to business….
Once you are finished, I advise blocking your Mandala.
It is not easy with something so large, but the final result is worth it.
You can either wet block (spray with water) or steam block, the choice is yours.

I suggest starting in the middle, and gently push outwards to flatten and straighten any areas you need to, I pinned part 7, the 2nd lot of bobbles, the points of the star make it easy to get the shape.
Then pin again at part 12, another easy line to follow, and finally pin around the outer edge. You should only need to gently push out the parts between the suns, to open up the clusters.
I used a tape measure and pined the end to the centre to make sure everything was even.
For the Stonewashed XL Mandala, I had to fold it in half, pin the 1st half, and then pin the 2nd half on top.

♥ Please remember this is my design and is covered by copyright law. You may share a link to this page with anyone, you may print off the photo or written tutorials for your own use, but please do not alter or change in any way.
Please love and respect me, as I love and respect you. ♥

♥ If you haven’t read the introduction post, then please find it here. You will find all the information on Yarn Packs, how much yarn you will need, hook sizes, the finished size of your blanket and all the resources available.

♥ It is worth book marking the main Mandala Madness page as it will contain all the posts about the project and each weekly part.

♥ I also have a group on Ravelry, which covers all of my designs. I will try to check in there every day. I now have some lovely moderators, thank you so much for your help ladies. ♥

♥ I suggest taking a look through the photo tutorial here before downloading the pdf to work from, but if you just can’t wait to get started I have put all the pdf downloads together.

♥ And for those of you who like to follow the Video Tutorial by Esther Dijkstra from itsallinanutshell.com, just click here and the link will take you straight to the video for this part.
Again my love and thanks to Esther for the amazing job she has done with these videos. ♥

♥ PDF downloads

♥ Translations

For the translated versions of the CAL, please click on the links here and it will take you straight to your preferred language. With no need to scroll down further on this page.
And another HUGE thank you to the awesome team of translators, from the CAL – Crochet A Long Facebook group, for the fantastic job they have done with all the translations. ♥

Sorry some of the translations are not yet available, I will add them as soon as I get them.

Mandala Madness Part 18

For the purposes of this tutorial I am using Scheepjes Merino Soft and a 4 mm Clover Amour Crochet Hook. And a ladder to take the photos!! 🙂

The colours used in each round are listed below.

US terms used throughout.

AbbreviationsHints:Are typed in italics and coloured purple, they are to help and guide you and hopefully make life a little easier.Reference to photos is [P] with the relevant photo number.
* Repeat instructions between asterisks the amount of times specified. This is normally a repeat for a complete side and will consist of multiple instructions.
() – Repeat instructions between parentheses the amount of times specified. This is a lower level repeat.

Special Stitches

Reverse Single crochet: (crab stitch) chain 1, without turning your work and working in reverse, sc in the previous stitch and each stitch around.

Hint: For those of you using the Colour Crafter pack, fasten off and secure ends of Round 107, and begin this round with a standing sc in 3rd sc above any shell 1, where directions say to ch 1 and sc in same st.

108. ch 1 and sc in same st, sc in next 10 sts,

*hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 4 sts,
skip cluster, tr cluster in ch-1 space, skip next cluster,

[shell 2] tr in next 4 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 9 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 4 sts, [P1]
skip cluster, tr cluster in ch-1 space, skip next cluster,

[shell 3] tr in next 4 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 4 sts, [P2]
skip cluster, tr cluster in ch-1 space, skip next cluster,

[shell 4] tr in next 4 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 9 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 4 sts, [P3]
skip cluster, tr cluster in ch-1 space, skip next cluster,

[shell 1] tr in next 4 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 11 sts. [P4]*

I have just finished my Mandala Madness blanket. It was so much fun. I am so inspired by this that i just want to keep crocheting. Its been put on my granddaughters bed and looks amazing. Thank youfor your creativity.
Where can I post a picture?

Oh my goodness I’ve only just stumbled across this delicious piece of art and I’ve saved all the instructions and I can’t wait to make it!! Thank you for making such amazing patterns and instructions. I can’t wait to share my finished project with you!

I just found this beautiful blanket when surfing the internet for a pattern for a blanket. I am fairly new to chrocheting, but this I will for sure have to make one day. It is jus WOW! How big is the diameter of the blanket? Maybe I am blind, but I do not think I have found this anywhere :-).

Once again thank you for the very nice pattern, I can not wait to get started, when I have finished my current project.

I have been crocheting since I was 12 (almost 30 years now) and this is my first CAL. I just finished my Mandala Madness CAL yesterday and I just wanted to tell you thank you so very much for your instructions and beautiful idea! You do amazing work and I will absolutely be doing another Mandala Madness in the future! I am “hooked”

Namaste Helen. I know I am late in starting on this CAL, but have been itching to make it. I just want to know if there is any way I can make this into a square. I am making a queen size bedspread as a wedding present for my nephew and his bride. I would be grateful for a reply. Thank you. Love and Light to you and yours coming all the way from India 🙂 God bless.

Thank you so much for this stunning design. I started late and can only work on this at the weekend so I’m only up to part 13, but I’m loving it. I’m doing the stonewash XL version and it is HUGE!! When I’ve finished this one, I’m going to do a version in cream crochet cotton using a 1.5mm hook – that WILL be a challenge, and somewhat of a change after months of working with a 5mm hook!

This Mandala is absolutely beautiful, breathtaking, stunning colors. I’m don’t want to even try this, because this is not my calling. But I would like to purchase one. I have a queen size bed, and my husband and I will be moving to our new home in a few months, and I would love the one with the most red in it, my favorite color and throughout our home, with accents of cream, and blue. Please let me know if you sell them and the cost. You are truly gifted, God bless your hands and your vision.

Hi Helen, thank you for this beautiful pattern. I am a little behind, week 13, but that is because I started later (june)on this great project. I write a post about “my” mandala madness on my blog last week.
Thanks again.
Marja

Wow, this is a stunning design and I can’t imagine all the hard work that has gone into this CAL project. I am inspired to make it for myself. My only regret is that I didn’t find this to join you all sooner! I hope to join you on the next one for sure. Thank you for sharing of yourself in this beautiful way.

I am in awe of your amazing brain & workwomanship. I came in late on this and am only up to Part 9. But on reading this post I realise I am guilty of changing stitch types in a couple of rows and I see you are firm about not changing pattern in any way. To get around this I am hoping you will allow me to post the images of my progress, in Ravelry and Facebook By stating ” this is my adaptation of the original pattern by Helen Shrimpton. I have altered a couple of stitch types in a couple of rows, but essentially the pattern Mandala Madness is hers.” Or words of your choice, if you permit my lapse. It’s only changing sc to bpsc, plus extra bobbles. Nothing major that changes the basic pattern. Won’t be selling it, at most only showing at local Craft Show & that’s uncertain. Such a beautiful pattern and I’d hate to annoy you. You deserve full credit for your extraordinary work of love – it was never my intention to steal or in any way contravene your due rights. Oops. Sorry. Don’t feel much like going back & redoing it at this stage. Namaste.

O, thankyou for your generosity. Really chuffed. Wasn’t going to be undoing miles of stitches to wayback, so felt I was in a bind. But I will credit you with your pattern & note mine is an adaption of minimal devaition. Phew! Onward then….into the Sun as our planet tilts & spins, the season changes here DownUnder, and after a spectacular full moon night of steaming mists, our first glorious proto-Spring morning banishes Winter. A morning to sing & dance & celebrate the wonders of It All. Thankyou. Sto kalo.

Der Helen ! I just finished my Mandela Madness and I’m very happy for this beautiful blanket. Thank’s for a very, very beautiful pattern. I have bought your Dream Weaver pattern, so now I will enjoy to croche this blanket.
H
A big hug ( knus) from me

I admit, I haven’t started, but am AWED by the design and the pics of everyone’s. They are so beautiful and imaginative. Arranging colors intimidates me, so I’ve been practicing on smaller wips letting imagination take over. I love your designs, and thought process. thank you. ga

Thank you, Helen, for this wonderful design and your sharing it with us. I enjoyed very much making this mandala and even though I might have sent an exasperated thought your way sometime when the stitches grew … let’s say interesting, lol … I loved every minute of working on this mandala. Hugs from Vienna, Austria!

thank you for a beautiful design. I have truly enjoyed the “madness”. scrambling to get this done while starting a “sophies universe” at the same time. Hoping to have them both done by Christmas. One for my Hubby and one for me! Now the end is in sight, I will be able concentrate on “sophie” I should be able to get them done!

Thank you so very much Helen for all of the effort it must have taken to bring this magnificent piece together!! I am very new to crochet and have learned so much from taking part so far in this CAL. I am nowhere near half way through never mind finished, but so far I have loved each moment I have worked on this! I am just home from the hospital again today and can’t wait to get stuck back in to this!! I can not thank you enough for your beautiful design! You have opened my eyes to something beautiful that I never would have dreamed of attempting a mere 8 weeks ago when I taught myself to crochet! Both the written and photo tutorials have helped me a lot so far, and I have also been following Esther’s videos for when I am a little stuck! Massive thank you again! <3

Helen, you’ve been part of my life, every day, for several months, and I cried when I read this. Am crying now. I’m still working on my Mandalas, they will take a while. This was my first crochet along, and I loved it. Bright blessings.

Oh Helen, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! For this splendiferous and majestic design – it’s been the market and craziest but most wonderful thing I’ve ever made! I love it soooooo much I will also now never be afraid of any crochet pattern ever because my skill and confidence levels have soared through the making of my Lady Tilly (Mathilda). You go and have a bit of a rest now, have a cuppa and a nap for a couple of months and I’ll be keeping my eye out for HelenShrimptonDesigns from now on!

Hi Helen, thank you for an amazing project that has continued to thrill me every week. I must confess that I am going to feel lost after this , I felt the same way after completing Sophie’s Universe!!
Can’t wait for the next project later in the year
Thank you It’s been an incredible journey!!,

I am a late starter on this project but wanted to say thank you for this incredible and generous and beautiful project. I’m just finishing week two and my husband keeps walking by saying, “Wow that’s beautiful” and “I love the 3D quality of that” and “I can’t imagine anyone designing that!” I feel exactly the same way.